A newly-discovered automotive job listing claims that Apple is seeking a supplier quality engineer with Chinese manufacturing experience, possibly revealing that the company is looking to extend iinto car-related products.

Citing a report from CarNewsChina.com, popular auto blog Jalopnik said on Thursday that Chinese head-hunting firm Allegis-BN is supposedly looking for a recruit to fill a position for an undisclosed Apple project.

The job posting was originally filed two weeks ago under the automotive section of LinkedIn and claims that the Cupertino, Calif., company is looking for a Supplier Quality Engineer/New Product Integration supervisor with experience in CNC/die casting/stamping/plastic injection."

From the original post:

Quote:

Apple(China) Looking for SQE/NPI with over 4 years Mechanical engineering background familiar with CNC/die casting/stamping/plastic injection, can use APQP/ PPAP/SPC to control product quality.

While the job ad mentions Apple, it should be noted that Shanghai-based Allegis-BN does not include the iPhone maker as a customer on its client list webpage.

If the ad is legitimate, however, it wouldn't be the first time Apple has been rumored to be dabbling in the automotive space, as a 2007 report claimed that the computer giant was in talks with Volkswagen over building an Apple-integrated concept car.

Currently, Apple doesn't make any official car-centric products, though Daimler recently announced a Mercedes-Benz project that heavily integrates the iPhone in the car company's next generation "infotainment" system. The German car maker says that when the product debuts, it will mark the first time a car has the ability to interface with Apple's Siri voice-recognition software.

The Drive Kit Plus will make its debut in the A-class line and is expected to be included in the German company's B-, C- and E-Class cars by this fall.

I could easily see Apple coming out with a gold standard car integration system using iOS technology. They could license it to auto manufacturers much like AirPlay to audio companies and make it drool worthy for any new car buyer.

So, I guess next year Apple will be making an eight inch car with a television in it.

Ah, see, Apple has mastered intradimensional storage, so the next device will simultaneously have a 2.5" screen, a 5" screen and a 7" screen to appeal to the entire market of nonsensical products at once. You just have to subconsciously want to be using the proper screen size and it will be adjusted in your perception to be that screen size.

It works for people watching you use it, too. So you could be using it as a phone and experience a 2.5" screen as you hold it to your face, but people watching you could see you holding a 7" screen device to your head if they wanted to see that, and so it would be clipping into your shoulder and through your hand as you walk around.

It sure makes sense to integrate the iPhone with auto system. What is being included now is terribly expensive and hard to use. Got to read through 200 pages to figure out the GPS, radio, etc. It would nice to just clip the iPhone or iPad in a built in dash cradle and hook up with the wheel controls, etc. Got easier to use GPS/Nav, plus could use streaming music, searches, etc. May be control HVAC, etc. With the iPhone, I would not need another data plan.... may be tie to a bigger screen.

A lot of this stuff can be done today with the iPhone, but not seamlessly.

Having used Microsoft's "cutting edge" MyFord Touch product in Ford's latest vehicles,... I can only imagine how nice it would have been to have an Apple-designed system instead!

Absolutely. This is the likely reason for this action. Mercedes Benz has already announced that it will fully integrate iOS and Siri in its upcoming A-Class models. Ford has Sync, GM has OnStar. Why not an iOS based Honda, or Toyota, or Chrysler? Android can have Fiat or Hyundai.

Absolutely. This is the likely reason for this action. Mercedes Benz has already announced that it will fully integrate iOS and Siri in its upcoming A-Class models. Ford has Sync, GM has OnStar. Why not an iOS based Honda, or Toyota, or Chrysler? Android can have Fiat or Hyundai.

I don't think it's far fetched. As the analysts have (correctly for once) been reporting lately Apple will need to expand its product offerings if it wishes to maintain future growth at the same rate. Going with automobiles is just another way to tie in their ecosystem even it means adopting a new model of dealing with other companies.

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I could easily see Apple coming out with a gold standard car integration system using iOS technology. They could license it to auto manufacturers much like AirPlay to audio companies and make it drool worthy for any new car buyer.

I have to say I have been saying exactly this for a long time. Not to mention a coherent interface for microwaves, ovens and ... well just about anything that needs programming.

From Apple ][ - to new Mac Pro I've owned them all.Long on AAPL so biased"Google doesn't sell you anything, Google just sells you!"

Mechanical engineers work on a lot of things other than cars. From the quote it is more likely that it has do with case manufacture. Sorry no iCars.

My thoughts exactly. The job requirements don't mention cars, they mention mechanical engineering and manufacturing processes which are used to produce just about everything. I'm not sure how the "automotive" part got attached to this story...